Fiction Book Reviews

Book Review: Isolation

By Sandy Amazeen Sep 14, 2008, 1:59 GMT

With masterful storytelling, Travis Thrasher draws readers into a novel so gripping it cannot be put down. James Miller is a burned-out missionary whose time on the mission field in Papua New Guinea left him exhausted and disillusioned. His wife, Stephanie, feels like she\'s losing her mind. After moving to North Carolina, Stephanie begins seeing strange and frightening things: blood dripping down the walls, one of ...more

Thrasher uses an unusual combination of Christian faith and horror to create a satisfyingly dark chiller/thriller that will leave readers wanting more. Stephanie Miller is having serious problems with her sanity and husband Jim feels disconnected from his family as they all try to recover from the trauma of their last missionary assignment in New Guinea. After a chilling phone call, eight-year-old Zach is beginning to wonder about his sanity as well and gains new perspective on what his mom has been dealing with.

The pressures of urban life piled onto a book contract drive Jim to relocate the family to a remote mountain “cabin” in a quiet corner of the North Carolina mountains. Despite a number of misgivings, Stephanie puts on a brave face for Zach and his younger sister Hannah. The “cabin” is a sprawling lodge built by an eccentric businessman who was known to be more then a little strange. As Zach begins finding secret passageways and Stephanie’s visions worsen, the Miller family learns just how bizarre the old man was when they become snowbound by a blizzard.

Isolation is an excellent title for Thrasher’s latest and best work as he examines the many ways family members attempt to protect each other from their doubts and torments at the cost of trust and intimacy. There are many parallels with Stephen King’s The Shining but Thrasher’s addition of faith keeps the mix fresh while appealing to a broad audience.